All For One
by Huntress of Sacred Dreams
Summary: We are one. Or so that's what you said. But now as I look down upon our kingdom I see a different story. Lines divide our kingdom. Famine lurks at the edges of our land and I can see the cracks beginning to form. The other kingdoms don't trust us, Daddy. They don't trust you. Why?
1. Chapter One: The Beginning

**_~All For One~_**

_We are one. Or so that's what you said. But now as I look down upon our kingdom I see a different story. Lines divide our kingdom. Famine lurks at the edges of our land and I can see the cracks beginning to form. But then I see others. Other kingdoms. Of lands filled with prosperity and hope. And then I see him and he sees me. Life. That's exactly what I saw in his eyes. Love. Maybe that's what he saw in mine. But whatever it was it was the start. The start of everything. The start of the real shaping of my kingdom. Of my father's kingdom. But those tiny cracks are bound to shatter under the tension, and when they do the real battle will start. The other kingdoms don't trust us, Daddy. They don't trust you. Why?_

* * *

**Lord: **

**Zlo: **Huge midnight black tom with dark amber eyes that are nearly orange.

**Lady: **Deceased

**Princess: **

**Engel (German for Angel): **Beautiful long-furred fawn tabby she-cat with white underbelly, paws and tail tip and bright blue eyes.

**Prince: **Deceased

**Guards:**

**Fiksu (Finnish for Smart): **Ash gray tom with fading dark gray stripes. Light amber eyes. Engel's guard.

**Poly (Finnish for Dust): **Dusty brown tom with lighter streaks. Yellow eyes. Engel's guard.

**Kynsia (Finnish for Claw): **Dark tabby she-cat with a long scar running across her shoulder. Green eyes. Zlo's guard.

**Villi (Finnish for Wild): **Long-furred blue-gray tabby she-cat with white underbelly. Dark blue eyes. Zlo's guard.

**Aalto (Finnish for Wave): **Blue tom with white patches. Light green eyes. Royal camp guard.

**Kukka (Finnish for Blossom): **Cream tortoiseshell she-cat. Amber eyes. Royal camp guard.

**Tiikeri (Finnish for Tiger): **Big light brown tabby tom with black paws. Yellow eyes. Royal camp guard.

**Prophet: **

**Soleil (French for Sun):** Small golden she-cat with white underbelly. Blue eyes.

**Assassins: **

**Sangre (Spanish for Blood): **Lean smoky gray tabby tom. Green eyes.

**Noche (Spanish for Night): **Black tom with lighter paws, ear tips and tail tip. Yellow eyes.

**Pantera (Spanish for Panther): **Sleek dark gray she-cat with darker flecks. Amber eyes.

**Soldiers:**

**Brilhante (Portuguese for Bright): **Golden tom with green eyes.

**Espinho (Portuguese for Thorn): **Dark brown tabby tom with white splashes and blue eyes.

**Mare (Portuguese for Tide): **Sleek blue she-cat with amber eyes.

**Garra (Portuguese for Claw): **Gray tom with unkempt fur and yellow eyes.

**Lebre (Portuguese for Hare): **Thin-furred light brown tom with a black tail tip and dark green eyes.

**Alto (Portuguese for Loud): **Black tom with white muzzle and light blue eyes.

**Hera (Portuguese for Ivy): **Calico she-cat with ivy green eyes.

**Cardo (Portuguese for Thistle): **Mottled gray patched tabby tom with dark amber eyes.

**Risca (Portuguese for Streak): **Yellow tom with streaks of white, green eyes.

**Chama (Portuguese for Blaze): **Bright ginger she-cat with yellow eyes.

**Coragem (Portuguese for Brave): **Light silver tom with faded stripes and amber eyes.

**Dragao (Portuguese for Dragon): **Bulky dark brown tabby tom with pale green eyes.

**Higher Class: **

**Putik (Filipino for Mud): **Light brown tom with darker flecks and dark amber eyes.

**Dilaw (Filipino for Yellow)**: Sandy yellow tom with green eyes.

**Dahon (Filipino for Leaf): **Small dark brown tabby she-cat with white underbelly and yellow eyes.

**Apoy (Filipino for Flame): **Bright orange she-cat with white chest and light blue eyes.

**Yelo (Filipino for Ice): **Light blue tom with white flecks and cold green eyes

**Tubig (Filipino for Water): **Short-furred gray tabby tom with amber eyes.

**Kanta (Filipino for Song): **Fluffy silver tabby she-cat with bright green eyes.

**Lawin (Filipino for Hawk): **Sleek brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

**Middle Class:**

**Fluss (German for River): **Dark blue tom with lighter wavy stripes and green eyes.

**Biene (German for Bee): **Golden she-cat with black stripes and amber eyes.

**Lowe (German for Lion): **Yellow tom with white underbelly and black forepaw, blue eyes.

**Feder (German for Feather): **Faded silver tabby she-cat with pale green eyes.

**Steigen (German for Rise): **Dark gray tom with black flecks and yellow eyes.

**Zweig (German for Twig): **Light brown she-cat with a fluffy tail and green eyes.

**Lower Class:**

**Nebe (Czech for Sky): **Small blue-gray tabby she-cat with white paws and yellow eyes.

**Oblak (Czech for Cloud): **Fluffy white tom with black paws, tail tip and muzzle, amber eyes.

**Cerveny (Czech for Red): **Dusty red tom with white tail tip and blue eyes.

**Pisek (Czech for Sand): **Pale ginger she-cat with green eyes.

**Nadeje (Czech for Hope): **Dark tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes.

**Malo (Czech for Little): **Sickly, deaf calico tom with blue eyes.

**Vres (Czech for Heather): **Light brown she-cat with white throat and dark green eyes.

**Liska (Czech for Fox): **Deep red tom with white underbelly, throat, chest and a thick plumy tail with yellow eyes.

**Sen (Czech for Dream): **Soft-furred gray she-cat with light amber eyes.

**Snih (Czech for Snow): **Creamy white she-cat with light brown marbled tabby markings and yellow eyes.

**Prisoners: **

**Broc (Irish for Badger): **Thin black tom with pale gray flecks and green eyes. (Loner imprisoned for trespassing)

**Upadly (Polish for Fallen): **Faded brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes. (Vagyon soldier imprisoned during the last war)

**Ciern (Polish for Bramble): **Strong brown tabby tom with white tail tip and blue eyes. (Vagyon soldier imprisoned during the last war)

* * *

**Chapter One: The Beginning**

* * *

I want to tell you a story. Not a story about cats with powers that were destined before the stars were even created to save the four Clans that had existed for only a tiny amount of time. No, I want to tell you a story about the cats that came before the Clans existed, before the Tribe cats and before the Ancients, even before most twolegs were around. A time when predators were bigger, prey was harder to catch, frozen winds felt sharper, cats were fiercer and huge kingdoms arose from the harsh ground to prosper and flourish under the beating sun.

This is a story that has remained hidden for hundreds of seasons, kept locked away by the starry cats that call themselves gods and rule over us day to day, ordering us to do things beyond impossible. But this is not my story. No, this is a story about a particular generation that lived in those three powerful kingdoms. A generation that held so many dark secrets that if they were to come to light the kingdoms would surely fall.

We start our story on a stormy night in the warm den that sat in a secluded corner of the royal camp. Two cats lay curled up in that den, one large and the other small. The large one curled his thick black body around the smaller frame of a light fawn tabby. His deep, enchanting voice usually wove wonderful tales of strange places and cats into the mind of the fawn tabby, but tonight he was telling a different tale. A tale he had heard from his late mate.

It was a tale about how the trees, the grass, the flowers, the sun, the moon, the mountains, the lions, the tigers, the cats, the badgers and even the dogs are all one. The sun and the moon came together one eve and looked down upon the empty expanses of desert, meadow, rivers and mountains, and were extremely saddened by what they saw. They wanted to see creatures roaming the world they had created. So they decided to place their paws upon the earth and create life. And when they first created life they made it all _equal._ The trees, flowers, grass, mountains, lions, tigers, cats, badgers and dogs were all equal.

When they created the cats they gave them a special message. "You are the most equal of all. But you will find yourself faced with many struggles over the period of your lives, and with time you will forget everything we ever told you. But we beg of you to remember one thing."

"We are one."

The fawn tabby blinked up at her father with bright blue eyes that seemed to shine brighter in the dull moonlight. "Is it true, Daddy?" she asked. "Are we all really one?"

"Of course my dear," the black pelted tom replied, nuzzling the neck of his daughter gently. "And in time I will show you how true that is. When your time comes to be Lady of Tegoba you will truly know what it is to be one with everything, Engel."

Engel brightened up, her face a perfect picture of what the horizon looks like when the sun arises from behind it, spreading her glorious rays over the awaiting land. "I look forward to it, Daddy! I look forward to seeing how our kingdom is one with the world!"

_Why did you lie to me, Daddy?_

* * *

**AN: As you can see I managed to create an allegiance of about 52 cats with a name from a different country! I hope you liked how they sounded, I just thought it would be a nice twist to add. Now, I didn't add Lord Zlo's translation because that would spoil some of the plot! I honestly hope you enjoy this. Its going to be a short multi chapter story based off Wolfy's Fairy Tail challenge. **


	2. Chapter Two: Chance Meeting

**AN: Enjoy! No time for words, have to dash off to school!**

* * *

**Chapter One: Chance Meeting**

We have followed the eastern winds away from the home of the original Clans over mountains, valleys, grand waterfalls, thick rainforests, harsh deserts, vast Twoleg cities and across huge oceans to arrive in the land of Athema. A wondrous land filled with beautiful creatures and stunning surroundings. From the rich kingdom of Vagyon to the lush kingdom of Reheva and then onto Tegoba, the harshest kingdom of all, welcome to Athema.

For seasons upon seasons Tegoba has stood strong despite the harsh land it has been born from. Acres upon acres of rolling green meadows filled with tufts of plants, trees and lakes, hide the real hardship from the unseeing eyes of outsiders. The glorious corner of Tegoba, a tropical escape, a rainforest of secluded pools and hidden tunnels, only serve to prove how rich and wondrous Tegoba must be. But scratch the surface only a little and you see the truth. This land only stays green and bright for two moons out of twelve. For the rest of the seasons the land turns brown and dead, the rainforest being the only green part of Tegoba during the dry season. Prey runs wild when the grass is green and vanishes when the sun dies the grass brown. And it is within the thick shelter of Tegoba's rainforest, tucked away in one corner of the kingdom, where the cats of this land live. Some say that they have become one with the grass and the sun. They say that the beating sun has bleached their souls and turned them bitter and evil.

It is within this kingdom that we begin this story.

The sun slowly began to sink beneath the huge snow-capped mountains that stretched into the clouds behind the three kingdoms. The sinking sun cast an eerie red glow down on the rolling hills, painting them with blood and sending scary shadows dancing through the rainforest. From the mouth of a cave that sat at the foot of the mountains two cats watched their kingdom go about its daily lives. From their position they could see the Higher Class cats arguing with each other for which household had the most prey. Beyond that was the Middle Class, each cat sitting around a small pit, depositing the days catch into it so that the guards could collect it later in the evening. Beyond even that, resting on the thin borderline between forest and grass were the cats that belonged the Lower Class. They were all curled up with each other; their thin, ragged pelts not warm enough to sleep alone during the cold ten moons of famine. The larger of the two cats wrinkled his nose as he watched the Lower Class cats shuffle around on the cold forest floor within their sparse and almost broken bramble den. "Why do you stare at them like that, Daddy?" the second cat asked.

"Because they weaken our Kingdom, Engel, and weak kingdoms fall," the first replied.

Engel fell into a thoughtful silence. She hated it when he called the Lower Class weak. In her honest opinion she thought of them as the strongest of them all. No weak cat would be able to survive living on the edge of the sparse hills with little food and next to no shelter. She didn't dare say this to her father in case he beat her and lectured her about being a strong Lady for her kingdom. Whilst Engel was lost in her thoughts she failed to see the prophet and one of the assassins stalk over to her father.

"Lord Zlo," the prophet began, "Pantera wishes to speak with you." The tom then turned and padded away without another word, his bright golden fur dyed an ugly pale yellow in the last few rays of sunshine. Engel pricked her ears at his words and turned her fawn tabby head to look at the sleek dark gray form of Pantera.

The assassin regarded her Lord with a cold gaze, one that Engel had grown used to receiving from the Kingdom's three assassins. However, Pantera's were usually the coldest. "We have bad news from our position atop the cliff. Earlier this afternoon, before the sun sunk but after it rose to the top of the sky, we spotted two of Lord Tuz's assassins snooping just inside our territory."

Zlo's eyes widened and then narrowed in rage, causing Engel to shift a few paw steps to the side. She knew that when her father got angry he took it out on the closest cats, and she did not want to be that cat. _Not that I have a choice, he seems to be tied to me, _she thought bitterly. "Did you attack them? Kill them?" Zlo questioned. His short black fur was bristling and his dark yellow eyes were alight with rage.

Pantera wasn't even fazed by Zlo's anger. "We did not. As soon as they saw us they fled, leaving their fear scent covering every bush and tree from where they were to the border, and probably into Vagyon too." She snickered in amusement. "But if we had of caught them then their pelts would have been lining your nest tonight."

The Lord did not find Pantera's comment even the slightest bit amusing; in fact it seemed to only enrage him more. "I trust my assassins to be the strongest, fastest and fiercest cats in all of Athema. I do not expect my assassins to be outrun by Vagyon scum!" Zlo thrust his face whiskers away from Pantera's. "If you catch even whiff of their scent I want you to track them down and slit their throats. I don't care if you have to cross borders and break rules, just kill them!"

Pantera curled her lip at Zlo, an act of defiance even Engel did not dare do. "I will speak with Sangre and Noche. But if they refuse to cross borders then I will not either. We will not endanger our lives because of your stupid pride!" She hissed at the Lord before she whirled around and stormed off, sleek black tail lashing back and forth. Zlo watched her go with a distasteful expression on his face. With a snort he turned to face Engel, his orange coloured eyes cold.

"Did you see how I dealt with that?" he asked sharply.

Engel nodded and shifted her gaze from her father's emotionless face. "Yes, Daddy."

"If you subjects ever dare defy your rule you must order them to do better. If they do not…well, that's when you punish them however you see fit." A cruel smile graced Zlo's face, making Engel shudder. "Even the toughest of cats will crack under constant pressure. All cats do. It our weakness. But I have taught you to overcome that weakness and I expect nothing but perfection from you, Engel. Your time to take over from me leers over the mountains with every passing day, but I will not step down if I believe you are not ready," Zlo growled. A hidden threat lurked in his eyes as he stared down at his daughter. Engel simply nodded and watched as her black pelted father padded away, his muscles rippling under his scar riddled pelt. She shivered at the thought of facing her father in battle. It was a thought that was rather grim.

"Engel!" came her father's icy yowl. "Go into the den and do not leave until the sun rises tomorrow."

The fawn tabby trotted over to where her father stood flicking is tail impatiently. "Why? Where are you going? I'll have my guards with me." She indicated to the two burly toms. Fiksu, the larger of the toms, returned the gesture with a small wave of his tail whilst Poly twitched his ears.

Zlo appeared to swell up in size as he glared at the two guards. They both shrunk closer to the ground and flashed their eyes to stare at a completely different thing. Poly even slunk over to snarl at one of the Higher Class cats that had strayed too far into the Royal Camp. "No," the Lord said strongly. "I have business to attend to that you cannot attend. Now go!" The coldness in his voice was enough to send Engel racing for the safety of the cave. She twisted her head to stare at her father before she passed into the darkness of the cave but he was nowhere to be seen. Engel sighed sadly and padded dejectedly into the gloom, her blue eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. Once she could see, the princess fell into her nest and curled up into a small ball, tail flicked over her nose and eyes roaming all over the interior of the cave. Small notches littered the cave wall where her father's trophies resided. A claw, fang, tuft of fur and even a bone from some ancient enemy Zlo had fought against.

But the trophy that always sent shivers of fear racing up and down Engel's spine was the two skulls that sat opposite the cave mouth. They were rumoured to be the skulls of Zlo's brother and father, both killed, skinned and used as trophies to remind the Kingdom of their Lord's ambition and power. Engel swallowed loudly and allowed her eyes to slowly droop close. The last thought on her mind before sleep claimed her was of her father murdering her to keep his throne.

**/-000-\**

Beautiful beams from a dawning sun pooled into the front of the cave, dripping onto Engel's paws and warming them up. The she-cat cracked opened her eyes and yawned drowsily. She blinked at the bright cave mouth before her eyes flicked to the black pelt that rose and fell towards the back of the cave. _Where the skulls are_, a small voice whispered in the back of her head. Engel snorted quietly before she rose slowly to her paws. With a sigh she stretched, the front of her stomach nearly touching the ground. Hearing the bones in her spine crack she returned to standing and began to creep out of the cave.

The early morning sun fell in dappled patterns all over the Royal Camp, some hidden completely by the thick rainforest canopy. A soft wind rattled through the trees, rustling the leaves and blowing some onto the floor. Engel smiled as she watched nature go about its daily business without a single worry or care. She had never really thought about the things nature might worry about until she started waking up early and going for a walk along the Vagyon border. The she-cat wrinkled her nose as she thought about possibly walking along the Reheva border. "But then I'd have to walk through the Dead Lands," she murmured absently to herself.

Engel shuddered as an image of the Dead Lands popped into her mind. Hollow, sun bleached and long dead trees all slanted towards the ground. Horrid cacti dotted the grassland. And hundreds upon thousands of bones spread out over the harsh area filled with death. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and even the huge skeletons of elephants, all animals that have gone to the Dead Lands to die in peace.

The loud call of a monkey brought Engel out of her day-mare like someone had pricked her tail with sharp claws. She gave a small laugh and trotted lightly out of the Royal Camp, not wanting to wake any of Zlo's assassins. They always slept lightly, always ready to leap to their paws in defence of their Kingdom. Engel snorted in amusement as she veered sharply to the left to avoid going into the Higher Class camp and disappeared into the thicker part of the rainforest that lay to one side of the three camps. She raised her ears to listen for any sound of the soldiers moving around. Their camp lay diagonally left from the Royal Camp and most of them were up training before the sun even rose. When no sounds of strong soldiers traipsing through the rainforest reached her ears, Engel decided that it was safe to slip down over a hill and hide herself from any watching eyes. With all four camps behind her, the she-cat picked up her pace until she was nearly racing through the rainforest.

She easily dodged around trees and leaped over the fallen trees she knew were there. The path she took every morning was just the same as yesterday. A fallen tree here, a patch of thistles here and even a clump of brambles that spilled over the worn down dirt path. That was until Engel leaped off the track and dove into a patch of bright yellow flowers. Giggling gleefully she pranced through the glade of tropical flowers, stopping every now and again to take in a huge breath. She sighed happily as the sweet smell of flowers filled her lungs. A bright pink flower caught her eye, just like it did every morning, and Engel padded over to it with a shine in her eye. The bright flower waved gently in the wind, its intoxicating scent overpowering the flowers that lay close to it.

But another scent brought Engel to a sudden stop. It smelt dangerously familiar and out of instinct Engel unsheathed her claws and could feel her pelt bristling. Her mouth opened in a vicious snarl as her eyes searched for what creature had invaded her secret garden of flowers. The snarl was a strange sound to hear coming out of such a sweet looking cat, but with her ears pinned against her skull, pelt bristling and eyes ablaze with anger, Engel looked like a cat from nightmares. "I would have never thought I would see you here." The voice came from the bushes in front of Engel, the ones behind the sickly sweet smelling pink flower. The accent it held sounded strangely familiar but Engel just couldn't put a paw on it.

"Who are you?" she spat angrily.

The bushes rustled loudly and a strongly built tom appeared from them. Pieces of foliage littered his black pelt and streaks of mud hid his identity from Engel. The mud was thickly caked across his face, creating a sort of mask. It was lightly thrown in streaks over his pelt and nearly stained his single white paw, brown. His dark blue eyes were emotionless but weren't cold, something that Engel had come to expect from her father. Even though his eyes weren't kind Engel did not feel like he was a threat, but she didn't let her guard down and still remained snarling. "I'm from Vagyon," the tom answered slowly.

"Vagyon?" Engel repeated. "If you are from Vagyon then why are you in Tegoba territory!?" Her voice held some curiousity, but mostly anger.

The tom arched an eyebrow. "The border runs straight through the middle of you. So I _could _say that you are on Vagyon territory, but that wouldn't be fair."

Engel blushed under her fur and took a few steps back before she remembered her favourite flower. Her eyes flashed to the bright pink blossom and her blue eyes filled with longing and sadness. The flower she had always loved more than the others was no longer hers. It belonged to the Vagyons. She wrinkled her nose but slowly let her guard down. Once her fur was once more lying flat and she was no longer snarling like an enraged queen, the tom could finally recognise who she really was, and saw how beautiful the she-cat was.

"You're Engel, aren't you?" he asked.

Engel nodded and gave a small smile, "I am. If you know who I am then you must know who my father is." Her voice had dwindled to nothing but a small murmur.

"Lord Zlo of Tegoba." The tom's voice became icily cold, like the freezing winds that came over the mountains during Heavy Rains. "Otherwise known as the Tyrant of Athema."

"Hey!" Engel snapped angrily. "That's my father you are talking about! He may be cold, mysterious, kinda mean and harsh at times, but he is still my father!"

The tom smiled, showing his white fangs to Engel. "I know he is your father. But surely you have those moments when you just hate him? I know I do."

Engel tilted her head, "You never answered my question. Who are you?"

The black, mud streaked tom ducked his head for a few moments. He made a coughing noise before he looked up again, dark blue eyes glassed over with a hidden emotion. "I'd rather not say. But, anyway, I, uh, I have to go," he said hurriedly and backed away from the clearing.

Engel bounded forward a few steps, earning herself a low growl from the tom. She could only watch as the strange Vagyon cat disappeared into the thick undergrowth and left her alone with her buzzing thoughts. She couldn't help but want to know who he was and it didn't help that – even if he had been covered in mud – he was rather handsome. A small smile curled at her muzzles. She would defiantly find out more about this tom when the Council met tomorrow night.


	3. Chapter Three: Disgrace and Danger

**Chapter Three: Disgrace and Danger**

"Where were you all morning," a sly voice purred from the bushes in front of the Royal Camp. "Zlo would be rather mad if he was to know that you left without your guards." A lean smoky gray tom pulled himself from the bushes, green eyes glinting mischievously.

Engel groaned inwardly. "What do you want, Sangre?"

"I just wanted to know what you would do to avoid your little trips in the morning being stopped. Maybe Zlo will lock you up in the mountains like he did when you were nothing but a kitten." Sangre flashed a savage grin at Engel and took a step closer.

The princess curled her lip and flattened her ears to her skull. She hated Sangre, the youngest assassin was always sneaking around, lurking in places he shouldn't and forcing secrets out of the weaker cats. He was a slimy weasel that really needed putting in his place and the worst thing was how infatuated he was with her. It was disgusting. "If you ever want to talk to me again you'll keep this a secret," Engel snarled.

Sangre laughed and unsheathed his vicious claws. "I'd get to talk to you regardless, seeing as I'd be your new _personal _guard. You wouldn't be able to take on paw-step out of this camp without me by your side!"

_Personal guard!? _Engel hissed at the tom, daring him to come closer, which he did, much to her disgust. After a long stare down between the two cats, Engel finally caved in with a defeated sigh and removed her gaze from Sangre's eyes. "What do I have to do to make sure you don't tell my father?"

"Come for a walk with me this evening. I want to show you something," he purred, eyes alight with victory.

Engel arched her brow, "A walk? What do you want to show me?" Caution leaked from her voice as she stared at Sangre. She didn't trust him one bit. For all she knew he could throw her down a hole and use her for ransom! A part of her laughed at how juvenile she was being, but another part told her she was right.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Sangre winked and slunk back into the shadows of the awakening forest leaving Engel alone to face a barrage of questions from her father. The thought of being locked away sent the princess scurrying away from the Royal Camp and towards the camp of the Lower Class. Her fur was streaked with dew by the time she arrived at the small, muddy camp, but she didn't really care. The cats within this camp looked beyond appearance and judged others by their personality. Engel had become a favourite of theirs. She'd even earned a nickname from them, one her father would surely despise if he heard it.

"Messe!" an elderly voice crowed. Engel raised her head and smiled when she saw an elderly cream she-cat, her pelt streaked with gray fur and battle wounds. "I wasn't expecting to see you here until tomorrow. Has something happened?"

Engel shook her head and nudged the elderly she-cat gently. "No, Snih, nothing has happened. Can I not come and see my friends without being questioned?"

The she-cat's eyes darkened, "Some might say yes to that question, Messe. But I am glad you are here. Perhaps you would like to bless our newest kahin?"

Engel blinked, confused by Snih's sudden change of language. That was until the princess remembered that Snih had not always been part of Tegoba. The old she-cat had supposedly come from lands far beyond the borders of Athema with languages that differed from theirs. Snih caught wind of Engel's confusion and purred lightly. "I apologise for my change of language, Messe. What I meant to say was would you like to bless our newest Seer?"

"Oh!" Engel smiled brightly, hiding her alarm beneath a false sense of happiness. A new Seer was one thing Tegoba did not need, especially seeing as a Seer was only born from the blood of the leader. "I would love to, Snih. Is she a newborn?"

Snih shook her head as she began to limp slowly towards a tangled mess of gorse and thorns that only just resembled a den. "No. She was about to be taken by Garra to the soldiers camp, it was only a day before she was supposed to leave that she had her first sign."

"And that was?" Engel asked curiously.

"Our Seer predicted that a flash of yellow and black would bring news of worry to our camp," the elderly she-cat answered. "And it did. The hunters returned later with news of a leopard being sighted near here." Snih's expression warmed as she peered into the dark den. "Our Seer will help our kingdom so much, I know she will!"

A thorn pierced Engel's cheek as she entered the den behind Snih. She hissed under her breath and shivered as a sudden icy chill raced up her spine. If this cat really was the Seer then she had a new step sister, one her father had not told her about.

Engel's eyes adjusted to the darkness of the den and she picked up the shape of a small cat sitting towards the back of the den. Her eyes trailed over the dark tortoiseshell pelt of the cat, searching for anything that may bear resemblance to either her or Zlo. She could find nothing. But as Engel neared the small cat she began to pick up words that she could not understand. They were unlike any language she had ever heard before, but something in her mind told her she had heard this language somewhere before.

"_Bu krallik tamamen golgede olmasi, yakinda karanliga baglidir_."

The cat repeated the same line over and over, sending sparks of coldness over Engel's body. As the words grew louder, Engel spotted Snih shuddering from either fear or repulsion. "Nadeje? You have a guest." The elderly she-cats soft words sounded like roaring thunder in the sudden silence that fell.

The Seer turned her small tortoiseshell to fix dark yellow – nearly orange – eyes on them. "Who is it?" she asked her voice but a mere murmur.

"I-It is Engel, Princess of Tegoba." Something in the way Snih spoke made Engel crouch a little closer to the ground. Snih hardly ever used her real name. Why was she using it now?"

Nadeje narrowed her eyes and sent Snih stumbling from the den with a hiss. "Why has the princess of Tegoba come to visit me? She rarely mingles with us commoners."

"The news of a new Seer surprised me. I had to come and see for myself," Engel replied in formal voice. She didn't want to take any chances with Nadeje, for something in her body told her she was related to this icy cold she-cat. "Besides, I was asked to bless you."

Nadeje's ears flattened, "I do not want your blessing. _Tuo huonoa onnea siunataan by Filth_!"

The princess took a step back, not liking the Seer's sudden change of language. It was unnatural. "If you do not want my blessing then I shall leave you to your thoughts." Engel narrowed her eyes and then turned to walk out of the den.

She did not expect to catch a small whisper from Nadeje as she exited the dark den. "This kingdom is tied to the darkness, soon to be completely eclipsed."

**-000-**

All light was slowly fading as the sky was splashed with streaks of pink, gold and red. The sun was nearly gone and the night had already sprung. Most cats were in their nests, sleeping the long, hot day off. Engel was not. She was traipsing through the Tegoba forest with bug buzzing lazily around her ears and Sangre brushing up against her. Every time she felt their fur touched she had to stop herself from raking her claws down Sangre's side. Her patience was wearing very thin as they walked further from the camps.

"You'll be very interested in what I have to show you," the sly assassin purred as he ducked under a sagging tree trunk. Bright green vines criss-crossed the tiny path that wound through the thickest part of the rainforest. The undergrowth spilled further onto the path with every step and Engel was beginning to tire. She'd walked too far today. The odd thing Nadeje had said before she had left the den had set Engel's nerves on edge and she'd spent the rest of the day traversing the low hanging branches.

"Will I?" Engel replied tiredly. "I might die before I even get to see it."

Sangre twitched her whiskers and then came to a sudden stop, his ears twitching. Within heartbeats the assassin had leapt off the path and into a thick bush. Engel paused before she jumped, contemplating what she was about to do. When her companion hissed angrily at her she followed him, still wondering why she had agreed to this stupid walk. She was rather surprised when she found the opening of a cave peeking out at her from the bush. Sangre nudged her sharply, his eyes round and worried. "Move it," he whispered. "Time is running out!"

The urgency in Sangre's voice sent Engel scurrying into the tunnel, her shoulders rubbing against the tunnel roof. She pressed herself close to the ground and hurried into the awaiting darkness. Her eyes could not adjust the inky blackness and all she had left to navigate her was her whiskers, nose and Sangre, nudging her along from behind. For what seemed like moons the two cats crept silently along the tunnel that appeared to have no end. A dull light suddenly peered into the darkness and Engel nearly squeaked in relief.

As the tunnel began to grow lighter and wider, soft voices reached Engel's ears and she nearly stopped entirely. "If you don't hurry we'll miss this," Sangre hissed.

Engel lashed her tail, catching the assassin on the nose, before she continued. The tunnel morphed into a small ledge that stuck out from the side of a large cave that she had never known even existed. But the cats below her Engel recognised. Or she recognised one of them.

"Where are they then?" Zlo snarled coldly to three mud streaked cats.

The largest of the three flattened its ears. "Ice is bringing them. Give him time, Lord."

_Lord? Only subjects can call a cat lord. These cats certainly don't sound, or look, like subjects! _Engel felt her head spin in confusion. What was her father doing?

The sound of scattering pebbles and claws scraping against stone heralded the arrival of more cats. Another mud streaked cat entered the cave from a gaping black hole. Four smaller cats followed, each with a more feminine appearance than the others in the cave. "Here you go, Zlo. Your payments for letting us live within your borders."

Engel nearly fell of the ledge in shock. Her father was allowing rogues to live within their territory and ordering slaves from them!? How could he do that!? "I suspect you are interested to know what he is doing," Sangre asked quietly.

"I am," Engel whispered. "Are those slaves female?"

Sangre nodded sadly. "Only three will be returned. The one Zlo decides is the prettiest will remain in these tunnels."

"That's terrible," Engel murmured, returning her gaze to the deal going on beneath her. Zlo was on his paws, padding around the four she-cats.

"You will be ready when the time comes?" Zlo asked.

Ice narrowed his pale blue eyes, obviously displeased with the question. The other mud streaked cats tensed and their claws slid out, but Zlo did not even flinch. "My cats will be ready."

Then they bounded out of the cave and vanished into the night. Zlo snarled at the four trembling she-cats, backing them into a smaller tunnel that branched away from the cave. Sangre nudged Engel gently. "We need to get you home in time for the council meeting, and before Zlo returns."

Engel nodded and slipped back over to the tunnel entrance. Taking one last look at the frightened she-cats, she began to race up it, paws slipping on the rock. Sangre swiftly followed her, his smoky gray fur blending in with the rock.

A light breeze greeted Engel's face as she emerged from the tight tunnel. She shivered and collapsed on the ground with a quiet mewl. "How could he?" she murmured to no one.

"He has done what he has to keep Tegoba safe. However, I do know he is planning a war," Sangre answered as he pulled himself from the tunnel and sat down next to Engel. "But he still loves you."

The princess laughed harshly, "He locked me away in the mountains after mother died. Forced me to become the son he wanted. He never wanted a daughter. Of course he loves me."

Sangre sighed and hoisted the tired she-cat onto his shoulders. "What are you doing!?" she spat sharply.

"You're exhausted and slow. Travelling like this will be quicker," he replied and jumped back down on the path without waiting for her answer.

Engel blinked and then hung limp, deciding that it was better to just go with it than argue. As she closed her eyes she whispered, "thank you," into Sangre's ear. The tom smiled and trotted quickly down the path. Fireflies flitted to and fro above them, illuminating the way home for the two tired and shaken cats.

"Thank you for showing me."


	4. Chapter Four: Silent Stars

**AN: This chapters kind of short but meh. Enjoy. **

* * *

**Chapter Four: Silent Stars**

The moon had reached its peak in the still night sky, framed by pale stars and trails of clouds by the time Sangre and Engel stumbled into camp. Engel looked a little more alive, appearing to have gotten over the shock of her father's treachery. Didn't he know how much danger he was putting Tegoba in!? The two cats padded silently towards the centre of camp, fur brushing every now and again, ignoring the hard stares of the royal camp guards.

As soon as Engel's personal guards, Fiksu and Poly, spotted the princess they rushed over, worry etched on their faces. "Are you okay, my lady?" Fiksu asked cautiously, addressing Engel in a polite manner.

"I am fine, Fiksu," she replied kindly, smiling at the two guards. "Thank you for asking. Please, return to your posts so that my father does not punish you. I assume he shall return soon so that we may travel to Star Fall glade." As she spoke Zlo stalked out from the darkness and into camp, his eyes shining slightly. He greeted the guards with cold stares and bared lips, daring them to ask him where he had been. None did, already knowing that they may lose an ear if they did.

The lord snarled threateningly at Engel's guards and they scurried away with their ears pinned back. Sangre instead looked Zlo straight in the eyes. "Are we leaving now, sire?"

"We are indeed, Sangre. Fetch Pantera, Noche and Soleil," Zlo ordered icily. Sangre nodded once and then his eyes flick to Engel. The princess flinched as their eyes met, unsure of what to say. He simply gave a small smile and then bounded away to the den where the assassins slept.

Engel looked at her father to find him smiling down at her. "I heard you and him went for a walk." She nodded. "He is a good cat, Engel. One I approve of, greatly." The lord then licked his daughter on the ear and padded over to talk to Soleil. As he left Engel felt her blood run cold. If her father approved of Sangre so much then she wouldn't get to choose her mate. Zlo would simply order her mateship to Sangre and she would have to agree.

She shivered and curled her tail around her. Sangre might not be as bad as she had first thought but she still didn't want him as a mate! With a snarl of frustration she turned to find Noche staring at her with his icy yellow eyes. "We are leaving now," was all the quiet tom said before he returned to Pantera's side.

Engel slipped over to her father and followed him out into the dark rainforest that was only partially illuminated by pale spirals of moonlight. The highest ranking cats of Tegoba slipped silently through the thickest part of the rainforest, grimacing as stray vines brushed their pelts. The land beneath them began to slope upwards as the patrol of cats began to climb up the tall mountain. A sudden feeling of being watched descended over Engel and from the bushes in front of them appeared a larger group of cats. Zlo's hackles rose in complete distrust of the cats.

"Lord Zlo," a huge bright orange tom spat like it was poison.

Zlo draw himself up taller so that he stood his full, terrifying height. "Lord Tuz."

From behind Lord Tuz and his mate, a stunning black she-cat known as Turha, stepped out a familiar looking black tom with a very familiar white forepaw. The tom stared at Engel with calm – and a bit cold – yellow eyes. "Greetings, Princess Engel. I do believe we have yet to meet. My name is Ero, son of Lord Tuz and Lady Turha."

Engel blanched. Her friend from the flower glade had arrived with a rather shocking secret. He was the prince of Vagyon.

**-000-**

The walk with the Vagyon's was rather chilly. Zlo and Tuz exchanged few words and the ones they did exchange were tainted with hate. Turha cast cold looks back at Engel as Ero walked beside her. "So, I assume you know who I am," he whispered quietly.

"Yes," Engel replied shortly. "You're the tom that stopped me from visiting my flowers." She glared at him.

Ero didn't seem fazed at all, instead he chuckled softly. "I didn't realize a princess was allowed to descend from her throne? Let alone cross the border to smell some pretty flowers."

"_Halten sie ihre zunge, schlange, bevor ich claw es ab!" _Engel snarled in Tegobian. Ero flinched slightly before he stared at the princess with wide eyes. Her pretty face was now twisted in a nasty snarl, pure white fangs bared. He sped up and slid in beside his mother, whispering something to the pretty she-cat. She hissed at him in return.

Sangre suddenly brushed up beside Engel, amusment plain on his face. "I always knew you were easy to anger, but sharp tongued as well!? You surprise me more and more every day, princess."

"I'd prefer it if you called me by my proper name," Engel shuddered. "I hate it when cats call me princess."

Sangre nodded in understanding and then groaned when Pantera snapped his name. "I shall see you later, _Schon." _Engel faltered in her step and nearly called Sangre back, but the journey had come to an end. The thick rainforest suddenly fell away into a steep cliff face, a small path curling treacherously down the edge. One-by-one the two kingdom representatives snuck down the path and into the glade where a tall oak tree grew tall, its roots spiralling into a bright blue pool that was fed by a small pristine waterfall.

Gathered on ledges that stuck out from the cliff side were other cats, each staring at the sudden arrival of the other two kingdoms with impatient eyes. A light red tom with black splashes that looked like shadows stood up to greet the arrived cats. "Hello, Lord Zlo, Lord Tuz," he rumbled.

The other lords muttered, "Greetings, Lord Juuri," and then settled their kingdoms down at the other ledges. Silence fell upon the gathered cats as they waited for someone to speak up. That cat was Lord Tuz, and as he stood his prophet stood with him. "My prayer without answer, from a god who never even existed," the strong lord announced mournfully. "I feel that the Starlight's have abandoned us, for they did not bother to show to take our late Nyul to his grave. For seasons now we have seen no traces of our ancestors. Even Amihan has not heard from them!" Tuz raised his muzzle to stare at the starry sky. "Do you dare show yourself to us? Or are you afraid!?"

Everyone stared at the orange tom with agape jaws. Did he just openly defy and challenge the Starlight's? As if in answer a sudden ivy wind ripped through the glade, carrying an eerie screech with it. The fur of every cat rose and Engel shivered. She shifted closer to Zlo, ignoring the fact that her father looked like he was about to tear Tuz's face off.

A sudden feel of exhaustion washed over Engel and she had to take many deep breaths to stop herself from passing out. It felt like something had been draining her energy. Gasps suddenly rose up as something began to shimmer in the middle of the glade. Wisps of white smoke shot to and fro and two shapes appeared from the smoke. They were nearly see through and only the top half of their body was visible, the rest simply wafted in and out of existence.

_"You dare challenge us, Lord Tuz? Well we have heard your challenge." _

_"Indeed we have. As you can see we have not abandoned you. Simply left you to your own devices. Living cats were not supposed to be guided by the dead. A wall is being destructed between us and you, a wall that will only be broken down when you truly need us." _

"What!?" Soleil cried in shock. "You cannot abandon us! You are our ancestors and you owe it to us to guide us!"

One of the Starlight's let out a wailing sound, disappeared from sight and then appeared again in front of Tegoba's prophet. _"We owe you nothing! In fact you should owe us, seeing as all the Starlight's are dead once fought and hunted for each of your kingdoms. They died so that you could live in the world you do today. Show us some respect, Soleil." _

Tuz eyed the swirling shapes of white smoke. "If you leave us, does that mean the rules no longer need to be followed?"

The Starlight's laughed, a tinkling, icy sound. _"The rules will always apply, Lord Tuz. But if we are not here then who is to punish you for breaking them?" _

As they started to fade away both Starlight's whispered, _"Seer, upon night, upon eve, Seer will see all. Things she sees may be covered in blood, frozen in time, but Seer will unearth all." _Then they faded entirely and Engel nearly fainted. Nadeje. The Seer. Starlight's leaving them. Why was this all happening now!? What was about to happen that had made them barricade themselves behind a wall?

Apparently nobody else held her fears. Instead most of them were rejoicing. Zlo especially looked pleased. Loud chatters broke out only to be quietened by a loud yowl from Juuri. "Kingdoms! Settle! This interruption from the Starlight's should not stop our normal council agendas! Would Lord Tuz like to speak of anything interesting that has happened in his Kingdom since the last council meeting?"

Tuz nodded, a smile still curling his muzzle. "Two litters of kits have been born to us whilst three new soldiers have joined our ranks. As you heard earlier our Nyul has died. He was a brave hunter and Vagyon will miss him. On a lighter note we have a new assassin." A dark brown tom with an odd fading white stripe running down his back rose to his paws, yellow eyes calm. "Asetus has shown himself to be strong and fast, something our assassins pride themselves on. That is all." The huge tom sat down and nodded to Juuri. "Your turn."

"Our princess, Vaiva," Jurri nodded to his blue daughter, "has had her mateship ceremony to our lead soldier, Flumen. She is expecting her first litter to him." Soft cheers bounced around the glade and the princess of Reheva beamed at them. "Prey is running well and our water has yet to run out. I have nothing else left to say. Lord Zlo, if you will."

Zlo bared his teeth as he stood up, nudging Engel up with him, much to her surprise. "Tegoba is faring very well with these rainy seasons. Three litters of kits have been born whilst four new soldiers are undergoing vigorous training. Soleil is, unfortunately, stepping down from his position as prophet and Lawin is taking over his place." He glared at Soleil as the prophet stared at his lord with wide, frightened eyes. "On a happier side, my daughter Engel is preparing to have her mateship ceremony to our assassin, Sangre. It is due to occur tomorrow. That is all Tegoba has to share."

Engel stared at her father with her jaw agape. Mateship ceremony to Sangre!? _Has he finally gone insane!? _

* * *

**AN: And now it is time for translations. **

_"Halten sie ihre zunge, schlange, bevor ich claw es ab!"_**Hold your tongue, snake, before I claw it off.**

_"Schon,"_ **Beautiful**


	5. Chapter Five: Tied by Blood

**AN: Moar chapters. Hurrah. I think I am enjoying this more every time I write more of this. Enjoy this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter Five: Tied by Blood**

_Sangre. Mateship. Kits. _All these thoughts filled Engel's dreams. After her father had announced her mateship to Sangre the gathered Kingdom's had cheered like they normally had, but Engel had not heard any of it. Her eyes had been focused on the face of Ero, his shock and surprise filling her eyes. She wasn't sure if she had seen disappointment, but some stray emotion had defiantly strayed across his face.

She had tried her hardest to make her father reconsider her mateship but it was set in stone. Zlo would not budge. A mate would hold her back from doing anything brass when it came to his leadership, she knew that. But it still made her angry. Very angry. Sangre had tried to talk to her before she had fallen into her nest and she had snapped at him.

Engel sighed and rolled over, soft rays of dawn caressing her face. Today was going to be a very long day. Soleil had been stood down for some stupid reason. And he was just as angry about it, but just more vocal about it. He and Zlo had had a rather loud yowling argument over why he had been stood down, not that Zlo had told him why. He'd just said he had his reasons. Engel figured it was because of his slave trading going on in the tunnels under Tegoba land. A soft growl rumbled in the princess's throat. Right now her father was her least favourite person. Sangre was coming in at second.

She sighed again and jumped when Zlo snarled from his nest under the two skulls, "If you sigh one more time I will toss you into a pit of spiders." Then he rolled over and fell back asleep with a snore. Engel flattened her ears and snuck out of her nest. There was no way she was staying in the same cave as her father. A light breeze rustled the leaves as Engel stepped out of the cave and was immediately met by the stares of the few Royal guards still awake.

"Good morning, Princess," a cream tortoiseshell she-cat greeted, eyes shining gently.

Engel winced. She hated it when others called her princess. "Morning, Kukka," she replied calmly, not letting her rage sink into her tone. Kukka dipped her head and then returned to staring out into the dawning rainforest.

When the guard was no longer paying attention, Engel slipped out of the camp and bounded swiftly towards her flower glade. The flower glade that now mostly belonged to the Vagyons. She seethed as she ran, wanting nothing more than to tear Ero's ear off. He had been ridiculously obnoxious when she had met him last night and given off the impression of a stuck up cat. So much anger boiled up in Engel that she nearly tore into the body of a mouse as it scurried straight into her paws. But she forced herself to silently thank the Starlight's for the lucky catch.

Once she had finished tearing into the succulent meat, Engel noticed that she was paw steps away from her flower glade, but another familiar smell tainted the sweet, tantalizing smell of the flowers. Sudden rage overcame Engel and she burst through the bushes and onto the back of an unsuspecting cat that was sitting in the middle of the glade. Whoever was under Engel's ripping claws was a lot stronger than her and within heartbeats of her attack she was laying pressed against the grass with claws on her throat. She glared up into a pair of strikingly familiar dark blue eyes.

"Well, I _certainly _wasn't expecting to ever see you back here again," the black tom rumbled.

Engel nearly snarled in irritation and spat, "Ero. Why are you back here? Surely the prince wouldn't leave his perch to come down here to a glade of flowers?" She smirked at him as his smile faltered.

"But I'm serious. What are you doing down here? Aren't you supposed to be at your mateship ceremony to Sangre?" Ero spat the name like it was poison in his mouth, which surprised Engel just a bit.

The she-cat shoved Ero off and rose to her paws, licking her chest indignantly. "The sun has just only rose. My mateship ceremony isn't until noon. I'm sure Sangre will be pleased."

"You do not want to become mates with this Sangre, do you?" Ero asked softly, stepping closer. Engel couldn't help but admire his keen blue eyes and well muscled body.

"No. I do not," Engel replied stiffly. "Sangre is not the cat I wish to cherish for the rest of my days." She lowered her eyes and stared at her paws, unsure of what Ero might think.

The bulky tom sat beside Engel and nudged her neck. "Then why are you becoming mates with him?"

"_Bitte andere vor sich selbst und der welt um sie beugen," _Engel said softly.

Ero stared blankly at the princess. "What?"

The she-cat laughed under her breath, "My mother used to say it to me before she died. It means, please others before yourself and the world will bow to you." She paused and peeked up at Ero. "I suppose I've always followed it because my mother said it, and father said she was very wise."

"She sounded like a wise cat. What was her name?" Ero asked, trying to steer the obviously unstable Engel away from the subject of her forced mateship.

It worked and Engel smiled a little bit more brightly. "Her name was Lady Estrela, after the stars that twinkled in the night sky like her eyes. She looked a bit like me, from what I can remember. Light tabby fur and bright blue eyes."

"Estrela. That's a pretty name. Was she..banished?"

Engel looked at Ero as if he had grown a second head. "Banished? Why would you think that? She died when I was very young, but father won't tell me how."

"That's a shame," Ero murmured.

The two cats, each an heir to a throne from different kingdoms, chatted like old friends from ancient times. Borders were of no worry to them as the glade of bright flowers was like a place of dreams for them. Engel did not worry at all about her mateship to Sangre and Ero did not pester her about it. But only when the sun was nearly blossoming above their heads did Ero breach the tender subject with the pretty princess. "Engel," he began gently. "I do believe you should be returning to your kingdom."

"I…I suppose I should," she sighed sadly and suddenly nuzzled Ero's neck. "Thank you for listening, Ero. It really meant a lot to me."

The tom faltered and then smiled, nuzzling the she-cat back. "You're welcome. Thank you for keeping me company. It was…_nice_ to talk to someone who goes through the same sort of things that I do." He moved away from Engel and slipped back into his territory, casting a final glance over at Engel. "Good luck," he whispered before he vanished entirely.

"Thank you," Engel whispered to nothing but open air. She took a deep breath and then turned away from the border and jumped back into the thick Tegobian rainforest. Worries bounced around in her head and she suddenly felt nervous. What if Zlo locked her away again to make sure she was safe?

Leaves, vines and logs flew past Engel as she weaved and ducked through the tight rainforest, paws taking her up the familiar path that lead back to the Royal camp, where her life was about to be roped in to a small fragment of what it used to be. The sudden thought nearly made her turn around and race back to Ero, hoping that he would make it all go away. But time was up, the thorn and gorse barrier appeared through the greenery and so did Pantera's snarling face. The icy she-cat thrust her muzzle whiskers from Engel's.

"Where have you been!?" Pantera spat angrily. "Your father is seething and Sangre's hysterical. He's been thinking that you'd run away and didn't want to become his mate. Do you even want to become his mate!?"

Engel held her head high as she answered. "Of course I do. Now get out of the way, Pantera." Without waiting for the she-cat to move, Engel barged into camp and into Zlo's hard shoulder.

"I hope you have a good excuse for keeping us waiting!" the lord hissed. "Get into the cave right now!" Engel flattened her ears and cowered close to the ground. She felt her father's flaming gaze on her pelt all the way until she vanished into the cool shade of the cave. Within the cave stood Snih and Nadeje, the Seer's eyes focused on some far away object.

Snih raised her nearly sightless eyes as she sensed Engel's presence within the cave. "I was a bit surprise to see Zlo stalking into our camp earlier today and twice as surprised when he told us why we were to come up here and perform some traditional ceremony for your mateship."

"Traditional ceremony?" Engel repeated, eye Nadeje warily.

The Seer nodded. "Usually it is performed by the mother, but yours is dead." Nadeje was rather blunt, as usual. "Zlo must have decided that you have around us the most."

"All we needed to bring was a flower," Snih purred and picked a small bright purple flower up off the floor. "And your ear, Messe."

Engel smiled kindly at the elderly she-cat and padded close, twisting her head so that she could weave the flower into her fur. Grunts and snorts came from Snih as she worked to fix the flower in place. After a few heartbeats of struggling with the flower, Snih stood back and surveyed her work, flicking her tail in approval. "There! Done! And you look beautiful."

"Thank you, Snih," Engel purred, twitching her ear slightly to see if the flower was going to stay in place. Much to her surprise it did. "Are you staying for the ceremony?"

Nadeje answered, "No. We are not allowed to. But we do need to finish this ceremony quickly." She stretched up and ended up sitting on her haunches to touch Engel on the forehead. "I, Nadeje, give you away to your future mate. May you cherish him and hold him even when times are dark and skies appear to be falling." She paused and then leaned in to whisper into Engel's ear, "_gecenin kanatları tarafından gizli_ _umuyoruz." _

Before Engel could ask what she had meant, the two Lower Class she-cats left the cave without saying another word. Engel stood dead still, pondering Nadeje's strange words. Maybe Snih knew what the Seer had said. She'd have to ask the elderly she-cat later. But right now she had a mateship ceremony to attend. _Her _mateship ceremony. To Sangre.

She shuddered. "Engel!" her father yowled from outside. The anger in his voice sent Engel scurrying out of the den very quickly. As she stepped out she caught Sangre's green eyes and watched as they widened and then softened. "Over here, daughter," Zlo growled, gesturing to a line drawn into the dirt with stones.

The princess took a deep breath and forced her legs to take her to the stone line. Sangre blinked at her, a small smile on his muzzle. Engel did not return it but felt bad when the assassin looked away sadly. Lawin raised his sleek brown tabby head proudly, "We have gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls in an eternity of love and cherishment. Before we go any further I must ask if there is anyone who feels that these two cats should not exchange vows?"

_Please! _Engel begged the world silently. _Please can someone object to this! _But nobody did. They knew Zlo would kill them if they spoke out. Lawin nodded and then continued. "Then we shall begin." He looked Sangre in the eyes, "Assassin of blood, you have taken a vow once before, handing your services over to the kingdom and here you stand once again, ready to take a completely different set of vows, a set of vows that will bind you to your one true mate forever. Do you wish to continue?

Sangre nodded. "I wish to continue."

"Then put one paw on the stones," Lawin ordered. Sangre did as he was told, placing a smoky gray paw onto the gray stones. His green eyes flicked up to meet Engel's brilliant blue orbs. This time the princess kept a hold of his gaze, not letting it drop. If they were to be mates then they should at least act like it. "Princess of Tegoba, for moons souls have waited for their pretty princess to choose a suitable mate, and now you have. Assassins are shady and cold, but we pray your kindness will warm his heart like you have ours. Are you ready to take the vows that will bind you and your mate together forever?"

Engel took a deep breath before she answered, unsure of whether her voice would sound believable. "I am ready."

"Then place one paw on the stones," the prophet commanded. Engel quivered as she placed her paw on the stones and brushed gently against Sangre's. "By the name of the almighty Starlight's I bring these two cats together and bind them in mateship for all of eternity. Do you accept?"

"I do," Sangre replied.

Engel stiffened as the words left her mouth, "I do."

"Touch noses." Sangre reached over and touched Engel's nose gently. "Nibble the others ear." Engel heard a small purr rumble in Sangre's throat as she nibbled his ear. "Finally, lick each other's muzzle." Both cats licked the others muzzle, eyes focused on each other. "The bond is complete. Sangre you are no longer an assassin but Prince of Tegoba. Engel, you are one paw step closer to becoming Lady of Tegoba."

Cheers reached into the noon sky, spiralling up to the bright sun that hung loosely in the sky. A sudden gust of wind ruffled the fur of every cat in the Royal camp and brought with it what sounded like the whispers of hundreds upon thousands of cats. _"What seems like a thorn covered with blood at first may blossom to be a beautiful rose if given the time. But some things are never meant to be. Princess of Tegoba, keep faith in your Kingdom. They may seem like icy branches of bramble but a bit of warmth will bring out the best in them. Do not hinder in your travels, Engel. Your destiny has yet to end." _

For the first time that day, Engel actually felt like the Starlight's had not abandoned them. They may have hidden themselves behind a wall, fearing for their safety, but they had never really abandoned them. The Starlight's would always remain a presence in Athema.

Engel looked over at Sangre and found him staring at her with warm eyes. "We'll be fine," he purred to her.

"Yeah," Engel whispered, more to herself than Sangre. "We'll be fine."

* * *

**AN: I don't think anything needed translating. The thing Nadeje said to Engel is to remain a secret. :) **


	6. Chapter Six: Love Struck

**AN: Quick updates. You have to love them. Enjoy. **

* * *

**Chapter Six: Love Struck **

Ero padded down a well worn, muddy dirt path, his mind vacant and wandering. The morning had been an enlightening for him. A chance to peer below the surface of Engel's seemingly perfect demeanour, and he had been rather surprised by what he had found. Forced into mateship, locked away up a mountain, commanded to be the perfect leader, all by her father! She'd even lost her mother, not that she knew why.

The prince sighed and nearly jumped out of his fur when a lithe silver tabby shape leaped out of the undergrowth at him, paws snaking around his shoulders and tugging him to the ground. The stranger's high pitched laughter soothed Ero's sudden fear and he smiled in realisation. "Get off, Aika!"

"Now why would I do that?" the silver tabby called Aika purred, smiling down at the tom.

Ero rolled his eyes and shoved the she-cat off. "I swear you're getting fatter every day," he joked, twitching his whiskers at Aika's enraged expression.

"I'm not fat and you know it," Aika winked before her expression soured slightly. "Where have you been all morning?"

The black tom averted his gaze from Aika's pale green eyes. "Hunting," he replied quickly.

"Hunting?" Aika's eye brows shot up. "I do not see your catch."

Ero silently cursed himself for being so stupid. Now Aika would know he was lying! He brushed past the pretty silver tabby, blue eyes cold. "I'm going back to camp." Without looking back he bounded further down the path, expecting to be left alone. But Aika was not one to leave things alone when they appeared fishy. Fast approaching paw-steps sounded behind Ero and he groaned inwardly, irritated by Aika's clinginess.

"Don't walk away from me, Prince!" she snarled angrily. Her use of his post name set Ero's teeth on edge. He had a name and he preferred it when others used it.

"Talking to your prince like that could get you in serious trouble," Ero spat back, lashing his tail. "I do not wish to be pestered by your insignificant questions, Aika. Now run along. I'm sure my mother is pining after you." The sneer in his voice was enough to send Aika the message. She was not wanted. With a snarl the silver tabby whirled around and vanished back into the undergrowth. Ero stared at the greenery where she had vanished, suddenly wishing that he could call Aika back and talk to her about Engel. He wanted to know what the strange emotion he felt when he looked at her was. It was an emotion he wasn't used to, probably one he had never felt before! With an irritated growl, Ero continued his slow walk down the winding muddy path, mind still whirring over Engel.

_Surely it is not love? No cat falls in love just like that? Do they? _But no matter how much Ero tried to question his aching heart he knew he would never win. He had fallen head over heels for a princess from another kingdom. A princess that was now mated to an assassin of Tegoba.

The thought of it nearly brought Ero to his knees. He had never been the cat for love. All he had known as that his mother would find him a pretty she-cat and she would become his mate. That was it. There would be no mixed up and muddled feelings of love for different she-cats. No sappy 'I love you' speeches. But the prince couldn't help but yearn for it. Just imagining the sound of Engel telling him she loved him sent shudders racing down his spine.

Before he could tear himself up anymore over Engel, he heard a familiar voice call his name and looked up to see his mother padding towards him from the entrance of the Royal camp. Ferns bowed under her careful paw-steps. The Lady's stunning black fur seemed so out of place amongst the bright green trees, vines and bushes. "Ero," Turha called. "I'm glad you are back but your father needs to see you in the meeting den!"

"I'll go see him now, mother!" Ero replied and slipped past his mother. As he past Turha, the she-cat bent over and rubbed her muzzle along his back.

"Keep him in control, won't you?" she whispered.

Ero smiled and nudged his mother. "I will. Go and relax, mother."

Turha sighed and padded away, her tail kinked and twitching. The prince watched her go with a sad smile. She had so many troubles weighing on her shoulders but never had the time to relax. Especially with his brothers running riot down in the Lower Class. Ero shook his head, steadied himself, and then padded quickly over to a thorn den where low murmurs drifted from. He stuck his head in to see his father, assassins and head soldiers talking hurriedly to each other. Tuz raised his head when Ero entered the den, a small smile on his muzzle.

"Come join us, Ero," he ordered. "We were just discussing out latest assault on Tegoba."

Surprise and then worry for Engel flickered through Ero and he had to push it away. Now was not the time to be worrying himself about some she-cat! War was afoot and his father needed his help. "Where will be attacking? The soldiers camp again? Lower Class?"

"No. The Royal camp."

Ero was stumped by his father's decision. An attack on the Royal camp was suicide! Tegoba was renowned for its high security, let alone its three deadly assassins. _Two now, _Ero corrected himself. "Would that be wise, father?"

Tuz stared at his son with narrowed eyes. "Attacking the heart of Tegoba will leave them defenceless and panicked. The abandonment of the Starlight's was our opening, son. If you do not wish to fight because you are afraid then go and join the elders," he sneered. The others in the den snickered, casting vicious looks at Ero.

"I am not afraid of some Tegoba scum," Ero snarled. "It's about time we flayed them." Despite his strong tone Ero was afraid inside. What if he ran into Engel? He didn't want to harm her. _Shut it! You are the prince! Forget about this mated she-cat and move on! It is time to grab more territory for Vagyon! _"Let's snag some more land for us. Maybe take a few Tegobians down!"

Tuz smiled wildly, his eyes blazing. "That's my son!" He turned to look at a dark brown tom. "Assemble the other assassins and the soldiers, Asetus. We go to war at sunset!"

"Night time battle?" a battle scarred dark gray she-cat hissed. "Are you mad, Tuz? Night time battles are the hardest and heavy losses usually occur on both sides."

The bright orange tom snarled at the she-cat. "You will do what I say, Murha, or you will step down!"

Murha glared at the Lord and then shoved past Ero into the afternoon sun. Before she left she turned and looked back into the den. "_Liian paljon verta on vuodatettu valtakautenne, Tuz!" _Then she left.

"She'll be back. Murha cannot resist a chance to tear into the flesh of another cat," Tuz grunted. "It was her mother's only flaw." The orange tom returned his amber gaze onto his son. "I expect you to fight well, son. Tegoba needs to lose some of its confidence."

Ero nodded eyes cold and emotionless. "Blood will be spilt." Tuz grinned, showing his white fangs and then exited the den, leaving the prince alone with his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if what he was doing was right. Would the Starlight's have accepted a night time attack one day after a council meeting? _What are you talking about!? The Starlight's abandoned you; no longer do you have to follow their rules! _Ero grunted. The small voice in his head had a good point.

Tegoba would never sleep well again.

**-000-**

Silence. Ever fragile silence. Silence broken by the muttering of a single word. It was all Engel could hear. No bird song. No chirping crickets. Just silence. And it was the most frightening thing in the world. "H-hello?" she called quietly, yearning to hear a response greet her from the mist that swirled in front of her. She could feel grass under paw but could not see if it was green or brown. Was she dreaming? Or in some part of Tegoba's territory that she did not know of? Engel did not know. And it frightened her. "Hello?" she called again, more strongly this time.

A response arose from beyond the mist. _"You cannot escape what has been written." _

Engel flattened her ears and pushed forwards, shouldering through the thick mist. "Escape what? What is going to happen that I am going to want to escape from!?"

_"Before peace can perch amongst the twisted branches of Athema and fix what has been broke, there must be chaos, fear and blood. Before love can touch the heart of ice, there must be broken hearts. Before hope can be felt by all, there must be hopelessness. This is what has been written."_

The fawn tabby began to sprint through the mist, searching frantically for the owner of the whispering voice that sounded more like threads of wind than a living being. "Is that a prophecy!? Why am I receiving it!? Surely Lawin should be the one you send such messages too? Or Nadeje!? Why me!?"

Laughter chimed in Engel's ears and she tripped over some hidden item that sent her tumbling to the grassy ground with a yelp. Thorns tore into her skin and wrapped around her paws. It felt like she was stuck in a nightmare, but she could feel everything. _"This is no prophecy! This is what has happened and what will happen again. There will be no escaping the things written in time. No running, no hiding, no safety from the nightmares. You can do nothing but sit and hope that you will survive the oncoming tide of chaos. Starting now."_

"Starting now!?" Engel shrieked, struggling to tear herself free of the vicious tendrils of thorns. "Please! Help me!"

The mist began to fade, as did the thorns and grass beneath Engel. Loud whispers filled her head, pounding at her brain and causing the she-cat immense pain. She writhed around on the quickly fading grass, ferociously trying to pull herself free of the thorns. _"Help will not be given to those who do not deserve it. Perish in your own pits of sin, Tegobian. Fade away into nothing." _

Then all was black. All was dark. All was hopeless. All was lost.

Until the sun returned and Engel opened her eyes to see blinding sunlight. She hissed and blinked a few times, sighing in relief when her eyesight was returned. The she-cat heaved herself to her paws, shaking in exhaustion. She raised her head to stare at the odd dirt clearing she had awoken in. Bushes of bright green lined it and paw-steps littered the dirt. It was obviously somewhere where many cats treaded. Cats that did not belong to Tegoba. Fear suddenly gripped Engel and she flung herself at the bushes, hoping with all her might that the Tegobian border was somewhere near here.

"Hey!" a voice shouted nearby. "Do you smell someone!?"

The sound of some cat being clouted sharply sounded and then another cat hissed something, their voices growing steadily louder. Engel scrabbled harder through the undergrowth, not caring that she was being ridiculously loud. A familiar deep voice growled, "I smell the smell of a Tegobian. Ruusu, Julma, go. You know what I expect."

The ground beneath Engel's paws began to vibrate as two cats shot towards the sound of her frightened scrabbling. She launched herself forwards a few more steps but it was too late. The cats exploded from the bushes and leapt at her, claws unsheathed. Engel shrieked as she felt claws dig into her hindquarters and pull her roughly to the ground. Two pairs of eyes – one dark green and the other blue – stared down at Engel with bloodthirsty eyes. "Well, well, well. Tuz certainly wasn't lying when he said he smelt Tegobians. But I doubt he was expecting this!" the blue-eyed cat purred, her voice definitely feminine.

Engel writhed under the claws, spitting and hissing angrily. "Now don't you struggle, pretty princess," the other, a tom, snarled. "Someone as delicate as you might snap in two!" With a growl, Engel swiped at the tom, her claws tearing across his left eye. The tom screeched in both pain and anger, rage now shining in the one eye that was not covered in blood. He tore his claws through Engel's exposed stomach, drawing an agonised shriek from her.

Before the enraged tom could do anymore the bushes parted and two more cats padded from them. Engel knew who they were before she even got a good look at them. Lord Tuz of Vagyon and his son, Ero. She hissed in pain as her stomach burned, blood oozing from it. "I am very surprised to see you in my territory and under the claws of my assassins, Princess Engel," Tuz rumbled. "But you will be useful nonetheless."

"I will never help you do anything," Engel choked out, heaving for breath as the tom's claws sunk further into her stomach.

Tuz arched his brow and stalked around the pinned princess, a look of amusement on his face. "You are in no place to be defying me, seeing as your life hangs in the balance of _my _assassin."

"Father," Ero stepped forward. "Would it really be wise to kill her? Surely taking her as a prisoner would be more useful? Then we could use her return as a way to bribe something from Zlo."

The orange Lord paused in his intimidating stalk to stare at his son with narrowed eyes. "And what would make you say this, Ero? Having feelings you shouldn't for a certain princess? Isn't Aika enough for you?"

"Aika!?" Ero cried. "She is not my mate and she never will be! Nor do I have feelings for Engel! Do what you want with her, father. I was just giving you my opinion." Then the black tom turned and was about to stalk away from the bloody scene when his father called him back.

"Your idea was a good one, despite its oddness." Tuz flicked his tail at the two poised assassins, one which was still tearing into Engel's stomach. "Take her back to camp and imprison her within the prison den. Have Rybnik and Pazur guard her. Then meet us at the border. Be swift about it, I want to launch our attack by midnight."

Julma withdrew his claws from Engel's stomach and hoisted the bloody she-cat over his back, eyeing Tuz warily. "We will be as quick as we can," he promised before trotting quickly past the Lord and Prince. As they passed, Engel met Ero's eyes and could have sworn she saw sadness in them. But then the two toms were gone and Engel slipped into unconsciousness, pain still burning in her stomach.

When she woke up again she found herself lying in a sparse moss nest, staring at a patchy wall of gorse and thorns. Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flashed across the clouds, illuminating the dark den. Rain pattered against the roof of the den, dripping in through the holes that littered the roof. Engel twisted her head to stare out the largest of the den holes; one she presumed was the exit. Two silhouettes sat outside, their fur flattened to their sides. "Can't believe we have to do this instead of attacking Tegoba with the others," one tom grumbled.

"We don't get a reward either," the other tom spat, shaking the rain from his fur. Another flash of lightning painted the silhouettes in white light, showing Engel their fur colours. A black tabby and a cream one with Siamese points.

The tabby turned and eyed Engel's trembling figure. "Well. We could just _take _our reward."

"Hmm? What are you going on about, Pazur?"

Pazur snorted and cuffed the cream tom over the head. "I knew you were born stupid, Rybnik. There's no one in the camp apart from her. We can have whatever reward we want. Get it now?"

"Oh!" Rybnik exclaimed before he too peered into the gloomy den. "Might as well."

The two toms stood and slipped into the den, eyes glinting. Engel watched them warily, biding her time. All she needed was a space…there! The toms split and went to separate sides of the den, leaving the den exit open. Engel leaped to her paws – biting back a hiss of pain – and hurled herself at the den exit, ploughing straight through it and into the stormy night. She could hear the muffled cries of surprise but she didn't wait around. She narrowed her blue eyes and dashed across the camp to where a space in the thorn barrier sat.

Rain soaked her fur and flashes of lightning illuminated the dark rainforest. Shapes leered out of the shadows, terrifying Engel. She could still hear the angry yowls of the two toms as they crashed through the undergrowth in pursuit of her. The fawn she-cat slipped through the mud, crashed through bushes and crawled under logs, all in the rare hope that she would find the Tegobian border and be able to lose the two toms in her home territory.

It was like her silent prayer was answered as the border between Tegoba and Vagyon suddenly sprung up and Engel jumped over a ditch, paws coming to land in the safety of Tegoba. She took a deep breath and continued to plough through the rainforest, ignoring the sudden twitches of pain that shot through her stomach. The foliage – illuminated by lightning- slowly began to grow more familiar. But the sounds of screeching and yowling grew louder as well. Engel shuddered and ran faster, hoping that when she arrived she would not find the dead bodies of cats she cared for.

The gorse and thorn barrier sprung up from beneath the dark rainforest. Engel could smell the scents of many cats but it was tainted with blood. Without a second thought she shouldered through the tunnel and burst into the clearing.

Cats wrestled with each other, blood stained the ground, screeches of fear and pain filled the camp. It was like a nightmare had come to life in the living world. But two cats that stood out amongst all the carnage was Nadeje, standing over the lifeless form of Snih. The Seer stared sightlessly at nothing before her eyes – pale white in colour – came to rest on Engel. Above the sound of pain and anger, Engel could hear what Nadeje said clearly. "Before peace can perch amongst the twisted branches of Athema and fix what has been broke, there must be chaos, fear and blood."

Then Nadeje was gone, swept away in the battle, just as Engel was when a bloody gray tom appeared before her, spitting words of rage in her face. And just like that it happened. All the words written in time fell into place and destinies broke in two. The balance of good and evil collapsed and plunged all into disarray.

No good would come of this battle. No good would _ever _come out of war. Out of spilling of blood. Nothing but time would heal the gaping wounds left behind by the coming war.

* * *

**AN: Over 3000 words in this. Dayum. I have too much spare time. This story is becoming deeper by the moment o.O. Leave your thoughts, questions. Anything. **

**Thank you for the reviews I have had so far. They are always inspiring. :)**


End file.
